


Touché!

by hallo catfish (ryuujitsu)



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-27
Updated: 2013-03-27
Packaged: 2017-12-06 16:50:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/737921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryuujitsu/pseuds/hallo%20catfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jenny disarms her ladyship at long last (and demands a reward).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Touché!

**Author's Note:**

> I realize the swords in 6.07 were katanas, but I don't see any reason why Vastra and Jenny shouldn't also be able to kick ass with rapiers! I am sure Madame Vastra would approve of mastery over a range of weapons.
> 
> Also posted at lizardladylove on LJ.

Having spent every spare moment practicing her katas in the drawing room, Jenny could now disarm Strax and Dorian with relative ease; she was adept with pistols, and had indeed once shot a brigand point-blank in defense of her ladyship’s home and castle.  Yet she was and had always been rubbish at swordplay.  It was not to be borne—it should not be said that Lady Vastra’s abigail was not capable of duelling, nor could Jenny in good conscience allow her ladyship to go off alone into the night in pursuit of vile miscreants.  Yet for all her ladyship’s patience and her own perseverance, improvement was slow.

 

In the end, it was not a wild charge that won her the bout, but good form.  She had executed the same maneuver countless times before, only to find herself flat on her back with Madame Vastra smiling sardonically down at her.  Somehow tonight it had all come together, her blade at last becoming one with her God-given arm, and with a small, tasteful flick of the wrist, she had done it—she had disarmed her ladyship.

 

“My God!” Jenny said hoarsely, staring.  There was sweat trickling into her eyes, but she did not dare move to wipe it away.

 

Vastra stood utterly unmindful of the point at her throat.  (It was, Jenny reflected, a buttoned foil, and would have done her ladyship not very much harm at all, her scales—grown quite tough in places—protecting her from every bruise and cut.)  She was frowning at her sword hand, as though she could not quite believe it had had the temerity to betray her at that exact moment.

 

Vastra’s own foil lay beside them, well within tongue’s reach.  Jenny found it with her foot and kicked it to the far corner.

 

The frown lifted, as did Vastra’s eyes, which came to rest on Jenny’s face.  At this a current of heat seemed to run through Jenny’s foil and into her body, blooming high on her cheeks.

 

“Oh, _very_ well done,” Vastra said, with warm admiration, and Jenny blushed all the more fiercely.

 

“Been practicing, ma’am,” she said, and, less steadily:  “Keep your tongue where I can see it, ma’am!”

 

Heedless of the foil, Vastra threw back her head and laughed.

 

“Lower your sword, my dear,” she said at length.  “I concede defeat.  Well, well—your footwork is much improved, though that last turn was, shall we say, unconventional.  No, Jenny—I confess myself thoroughly impressed.  I am not certain there is much left to teach you.  You are not, I hope, overtired?”

 

Jenny let fall her foil and dabbed at her face with her sleeve.  “No, indeed, ma’am.  Shall we say best of three?”

 

Vastra laughed again.  “You humans—bursting with energy!  No, that is enough sparring for one night, I think,” said her ladyship, with an impish smile.  “I have grown old, it seems, and my blood is sluggish on such cold nights as these.  I think, Jenny, that I shall retire early this evening.” 

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Jenny said, biting her lip.

 

Vastra moved to retrieve her foil.  “There is no hurry to tidy up—we shall only tear the room to pieces again tomorrow.”

 

“Yes, ma’am.  Only—”

 

“My word, Jenny, if you had kicked a little harder you would have launched my foil clean through the window!  I commend you.  ‘Only’ what?”

 

Jenny swallowed.  “Only—well—you must admit, ma’am, it is no easy task to take your sword from you.”

 

“Naturally,” Vastra said absently, wiping her foil clean.

 

“I have been practicing day and night.”

 

“Yes—I know you have.” 

 

Jenny seized her courage, and burst out, “With your permission, ma’am, I should like a reward.”

 

There was a moment’s silence.  “Oh?” said Vastra finally.  She turned, and Jenny saw with another hot thrill that she was smiling broadly.  “Well, then—come here, my darling, and let me see what I can do.”           


End file.
